The Nutcracker and I - with Alexandra Dariescu

Read about this lovely project, and watch a video, on Jessica Duchen's blogspot - The Nutcracker and I is a groundbreaking multimedia performance by pianist Alexandra Dariescu and ballerina Desiree Ballantyne, accompanied by digital animation.

Clitheroe Concerts are presenting the show at The Grand, Clitheroe on Tuesday 17 July, 7.30pm

Jessica says "Alexandra Dariescu's virtual-reality piano recital ballet marvel The Nutcracker and I is off on a world tour soon, taking in China, Romania, Belgium, Germany, Austria (four performances in Vienna's Konzerthaus), Sweden, Australia and the UK (including, among others, the London Piano Festival and the Ryedale Festival). Above, the Trepak, with Alex at the piano and ballerina Amy Drew meeting some rather special friends. Full tour dates here.

Last year Alex decided to record a CD of the complete music - some of the arrangements have been specially commissioned for the project - with a souvenir booklet, targeted at the young audience she hopes will be attracted to experience a piano recital for the first time. But you can't put virtual reality into audio or print...so she needed a text version of the story. I was more than thrilled when she asked me to oblige. The script, recorded by Blue Peter presenter Lindsey Russell, has been very cleverly woven into the music (it works even better than I'd imagined) and the CD was released yesterday on the Signum label. You can get hold of it here."